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Reminiscences 

OF 

The Civil War 

by 

Theodore m. Nagle 

Formerly Sergeant Company "C" 
2 1 St Regiment, N. Y. S. Vol. Inf. 






Author 

AUG 1 2 1923 








This is not intended to be, and is 
not a full account of my experience 
IN THE Civil War, only some reminis- 
cences OF THE LONG AGO THAT I HAVE 

felt like jotting down. 

When weary of reading present day 
politics or of the world wide misery, 
it may be agreeably diverting, pos- 
sibly restful, to recall events of the 
long ago, when we were engaged in 
the war for the preservation of the 
Union. 

THEODORE M. NAGLE. 

Erie, Pennsylvania 
June i, 1923 




THEODORE M. NAGLE 
Born April 18, 1840 



REMINISCENCES 
OF THE CIVIL WAR 



OUR REGIMENT, the 21st N. Y. S. Vol. 
Inf. was mustered into the United State's service 
at Elmira, New York, at our barracks on the 
banks of the Chemung River, May 7, 1861; a 
few days later we were ordered to Washington. 
In the meantime the Sixth Massachusetts, on 
its way to Washington, was mobbed while passing 
through Baltimore; this again aroused the North 
and created lively anticipations within the ranks 
of the 21st. Trains arriving from the North did 
not pass through the City of Baltimore on the 
way South, one depot being in the northern part 
of the city, the other in the southern. As our 
train was approaching Baltimore, ammunition 
was distributed to us; on arriving at the out- 
skirts of the city the train came to a stop, 
we detrained and formed in line. ''Attention! 
Load with cartridges! Fix bayonets!" Thus 
prepared for emergencies we marched through 
the streets of Baltimore, every officer from the 
Colonel down, and every man, in his place. To 
our surprise, if not our chagrin, the streets we 
passed through were entirely deserted, not a 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

person to be seen, not even at the doors or 
windows, which were all closed — Baltimore, 
while not enthusiastic over our coming was cer- 
tainly quiet and well behaved. 

Our train proceeded slowly to Washington, 
arriving at the Baltimore and Ohio Depot, at 
the foot of Capitol Hill, not far from Pennsyl- 
vania Avenue. After some delay we marched 
through the city to Kalorama Heights and went 
into camp on the banks of Rock Creek, almost 
directly opposite the Georgetown Cemetery. 
We called it ''Camp Kalorama." Here, of 
course, it was drill, guard duty and camp life 
in general for a number of weeks. 

Washington was no such city as it is now, 
nor much like it. What is now the center or 
business part was about all that was occupied, 
and that only sparsely; from our camp to very 
near the State, Army, and Navy building it was 
all commons. The Capitol was not finished, 
the iron ribs that formed the dome were in 
place, but were not covered. I climbed to the 
top one day to get a good view of the surround- 
ing country, the Goddess of Liberty statue, that 
now crowns the top of the dome, was then on 
the ground near the building, a part of the 
basement was used for baking bread for the 
soldiers. Oh, yes, while we were in and near 
Washington we received bread — sometimes. 
The Washington monument was only about fifty 

[10] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

feet high and in poor condition, the waters of 
the Potomac extended to within a few feet of 
its base, and beef cattle were butchered there, 
also for the soldiers. 

Target practice was much engaged in. One 
hot day our Regiment marched from camp to 
the Navy Yard, seven miles or more away to 
exchange our smooth bore muskets for Spring- 
field rifles. Each one gave up his musket at a 
brick warehouse, which stands to the left of 
the main road or street, and received in return 
a rifle; then seven miles or more back to camp. 

On the Fourth of July, 1861, we passed in 
review before President Lincoln, Secretary Wm. 
H. Seward and Gen. Winfield S. Scott. A review- 
ing stand had been erected on the White House 
grounds close to the iron fence on the line of the 
street, Pennsylvania Avenue. It was said that 
20,000 New York Troops participated in the 
parade, and I dare say there are not many living 
to-day who were reviewed in parade by these 
men so outstanding in American history. 

The next day we crossed the Potomac to 
the Virginia side of the river, over the Long 
Bridge, to take possession of and garrison Fort 
Runyon. It consisted of a semi-circular em- 
bankment on the brow of the high ground, the 
right and left ends of which rested on the Potomac 
swamp, and covered the roads to Fairfax and 
Alexandria, which two roads met within the 

111] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

enclosure and over a causeway continued over 
Long Bridge to Washington. Several heavy 
guns throwing about 10 inch shells were mount- 
ed; what we could ever have done with them 
had we been attacked I am sure I don't know, 
but I presume they were intended to scare the 
rebels and make the Washingtonians feel safe, 
and indeed they looked very formidable. Here 
we lay in the heat of the July and August sun, 
the miasma of the swamp, on ground but little 
higher than the swamp, till about everyone in 
the regiment had or had had fever and ague. 
Our Surgeon Wilcox was worried to death and 
tried his best to have at least some of the com- 
panies quartered on the high ground outside 
of the embankment, but no, the War Depart- 
ment was obdurate and we had to remain on 
the low ground, on the edge of the swamp till 
we were wanted elsewhere. 

Nothing very stirring happened while we 
were there. One day a member of another 
company was court martialed and sentenced to 
"be drummed out of the camp.'* He was a 
pretty tough character, but bore an honored 
name, one that is borne by many good men 
and I will not mention it. It was rumored that 
the Company to which he belonged would mu- 
tiny, and not permit him to be drummed out. 
Captain Washburn of our Co. "C" was ordered 
to carry out the sentence; he detailed myself 

[12 1 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

and seven others of our Company to act as 
guard. He took command, we formed a hollow 
square, loaded rifles, fixed bayonets, and marched 
to where the man to be drummed out was con- 
fined. He was ordered to take his place within 
the hollow square and did so. The square was 
closed, then with fifes and drums at our head, 
we began the march to and across the Long 
Bridge to the tune provided for such occasions. 
While the feeling was tense in camp, there was 
no demonstration. I guess the Captain and his 
guard looked too much like business to trifle 
with. Arriving at the Washington end of the 
bridge we opened ranks and set him free. He 
was completely cowed and cried pitifully. We 
returned to camp, or the fort, to a little more 
cheerful tune — such is a part of army experience. 
Sunday, July 21, 1861, and the night follow- 
ing, I was on guard. Sometime along two or 
three o'clock in the morning, I was at the gate 
on the road to Fairfax, when a man with a one- 
horse light spring wagon drove up, and wanted 
to pass through the fort. While the Sergeant 
engaged the man in conversation, I passed to the 
rear of the wagon, and seeing some object covered 
with an army blanket, I uncovered it, saying: 
"What have you got here.?" It was a corpse. 
He answered, *That is my brother, I picked him 
up on the battlefield and want to take him 
home." We let him pass. That was the first 

[13] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

tangible evidence that the much heralded and 
discussed First Battle of Bull Run had been 
fought. Our little army did not go to Richmond 
and the Confederate Army did not go to Wash- 
ington. It was not the defeat and rout of the 
Union Army that it was often said to be, and 
from what I have learned of the battle and 
know of the ground — I was in the Second 
Battle of Bull Run, and have studied the ground 
since the War — I consider it a remarkably well 
fought battle on the part of both armies, es- 
pecially the attacking, the Union Army, not- 
withstanding it was their first battle. I doubt 
if veteran troops could or would have done any 
better. 

The Union Army drove the Confederates 
from position to position by hard fighting, until 
it finally drove it to a remarkably strong posi- 
tion, the Henry House Hill; the same position, 
held by the Union Army, that safe guarded the 
line of retreat for the Union Army, a year later 
in the Second Battle of Bull Run. Upon this 
position the Confederates concentrated their 
forces and massed their numerous batteries, and 
the decimated and considerably exhausted Union 
lines advanced time after time, only to be re- 
pulsed with terrible losses. There was no chance 
to outflank the position, and such was the spirit 
in the heat of battle, that they tried time after 
time to accomplish the impossible, until they 

f 14 1 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

were no longer able to make a formidable effort. 
Then after some delay, they began an orderly 
retreat — orderly, considering the thinned ranks 
and their exhaustion — and fell back toward the 
defenses of Washington not far away, which 
was all right. The Confederate forces did not 
follow or hamper the retreat to any extent. 
Well to return to Fort Runyon, it was now 
Monday, July 22. As I had been on guard twenty- 
four hours, I was excused from duty from the 
end of guard mounting in the morning until 
dress parade near sundown. Along towards 
noon an order came: "Companies *C' and 'D', 
prepare to march with full equipment." So I 
with the rest of my company donned full equip- 
ment — knapsack, all accoutrements, rifle, am- 
munition and rations, and "fell in", and soon 
"by the right flank, forward march", we took 
the road toward Fairfax (and Bull Run). Arriv- 
ing at a point not many miles away where the 
road crosses a railroad, near Bailey's Crossroads, 
we halted and then deployed on both sides of 
the road, "C" to the right and "D" to the left, 
on high wooded ground, along the railroad, facing 
south. We constructed on our front, out of 
saplings, what we called a "barricade" — a 
battery of two field pieces was placed in the 
road, dominating a bridge crossing a little stream 
just ahead of us. Now we were ready for the 
rebels. We waited and waited. We did not 

[15] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

remain posted at the "barricade" I went down 
to the creek and along the banks and I picked 
the sweetest and largest dew-berries I ever saw; 
they were nearly as large as my thumb. After 
eating my fill I filled my cap with them and 
returned to my place. At the approach of night 
I was one of four, sent out along the road to give 
warning of any approaching enemy, by firing. 
It was a clear moonlight night; sometime about 
midnight, I heard the clatter of hoofs of cavalry. 
I first thought they were rebel cavalry that had 
come in by a wood road I had passed, and as 
they approached on a trot, I cocked my gun. 
The horses hearing the click pricked up, then 
the officer in the lead said, "Second United 
States Cavalry" — they appeared to be a mag- 
nificent body of horses and men. 

Not long after that came a long line of am- 
bulances, squeeking rather dolefully, going to 
the front — that, in the stillness of the night 
looked rather sombre and serious, but that 
was all that happened that night on that part 
of the front. 

The next night I was detailed to stand guard 
at a railroad bridge a little to our right. The 
night was dark and wet, the rain came down in 
torrents nearly all night, as I stood at one end 
of the bridge without shelter of any kind the 
entire night through. Nothing happened, only 
rain, rain and more rain. The night ended, day 

[16] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

dawned, the sun rose bright and cheerful. I 
was wet through and through, and the waters 
of the stream, though swollen were clear, it was 
a great temptation, and I went down to the 
banks of the stream, put my gun against a tree, 
hung my clothes on the bushes in the sunshine 
to dry and went into the waters to have a good 
wash, but before I was through there came the 
sound of a bugle, as clear, peremptory and com- 
manding as ever a bugle sounded — it was the 
Bugle Call to "Rally on the Reserve." There 
I was still in the water, without a stitch of 
clothing on me, and my order was "hurry as 
fast as you can to the Reserve." What was up.^ 
Was the Reserve in danger and wanted my help, 
or was I in danger.? Anyway, and quite naturally, 
it didn't take me long to get into my uniform, 
grasp my rifle and rally on the reserve. Upon 
arriving there I found everything quiet and 
serene, but prepared; all glad to see one another 
again — then coffee and something to eat. In 
the course of the day, we, the two companies 
and guns, returned to Fort Runyan. Other 
troops had been placed in nearby positions and 
thus ended a little expedition, and everything 
became "quiet on the Potomac" for some time. 
This, the first Battle of Bull Run, put a more 
serious aspect on the war, more volunteers were 
called for and promptly responded. General 
George B. McClelland— "Little Mack"— was 

[17] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

called to head the armies at Washington. The 
army of the Potomac had its beginning, or- 
ganized, well equipped and drilled. We, our Reg- 
iment, became a part of the First Army Corps; 
we were in the first brigade, first division, in the 
First Army Corps, and I believe the first Regi- 
ment in the first brigade. We were still at 
Fort Runyon when one afternoon the order 
came to march forthwith with all of our belong- 
ings. In a short time we left Fort Runyon and 
were on the march to and past Arlington Heights. 
I remember quite distinctly passing in front of 
and close to the old residence, and through a 
ravine just beyond. Of course, there was then 
not a solitary grave in all that section; they, 
lots of them, have come since then. Continuing 
on until we reached the ground now 'Tort 
Meyers," here we halted and remained encamped 
for some weeks; it appeared that the entire line 
of the army in Virginia, in front of Washington, 
was extended a little southward. Soon after this 
we were again advanced a little, and went into 
camp on Upton's Hill near Falls Church. Here 
we remained until early the following spring 
when the Army of the Potomac, under General 
McClellan, made a general advance. Our time 
was taken up with drilling, guard and picket 
duty. 



18] 



II. 

General McClelland and the Army of the 

Potomac leave the Washington front 

for the Peninsula. 

IN THE EARLY SPRING of 1862, the 
Army of the Potomac was a well organized and 
equipped army; the regiments formed into 
brigades, divisions, army corps, and well supplied 
with artillery and cavalry, fully officered, con- 
siderably drilled and disciplined, but only a 
small share of it experienced in campaigning and 
warfare — this it was about to get in abundance. 

It was generally believed that the Confed- 
erates had massed a large force, estimated at 
100,000 to 125,00 men at Manassas. This then 
was the enemy to face the Army of the Potomac. 
So, as soon as the roads were in condition to 
permit the army to make the move, we, the 
entire army were ordered to advance onto Man- 
assas. The weather and roads were fair, and 
there was no trouble on the march. Upon 
arrival at Centreville, we found there was no 
rebel army near, though plenty of evidence that 
a large force had been camped in the vicinity, 
but the army had vamoosed, retreated. 

Well, now what was to be done.? After some 
delay it was announced that we were to march 

[19] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

back to Alexandria, and there embark on steam- 
boats, to be taken to the Peninsula, then to 
Richmond. 

In due time we started one morning on 
our march to Alexandria, but before we got 
started it began to rain, not very hard at first, 
but it soon increased, until it came down in 
torrents and kept it up all day. It was a cold 
rain and as the day progressed all the streams 
were working to capacity and more; there were 
few if any bridges, compelling us to ford many 
streams knee deep to waist deep. Of course in 
those days we had no clothing or blankets that 
would shed the rain, our uniforms, overcoats 
and blankets were flimsy, shoddy, I guess, that 
would readily take in the rain, pass it on to our 
bodies until we were soaked to our bones, I 
think, and then run down our blouse sleeves 
and pants legs in streams. A good thing we wore 
shoes that couldn't hold much water; caps, too, 
were no protection. This severe cold rain storm, 
coming so soon after our winter quarters and no 
enemy near, practically broke up all the organ- 
izations that were on the march, and each one 
trudged along as best he could; at least I trudged 
along all day, not daring to stop in that cold 
rain, and loaded down with a great surplus of 
water, ever onward toward Alexandria. At last, 
just as it was beginning to get dark, I arrived 
in Alexandria, and found that our regiment was 

[20 1 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

assembling in a hall of a brick building, all the 
seats having been removed. A few of my com- 
pany and myself pre-empted a corner; I threw 
off my knapsack and haversack, and I assure 
you it was a relief — I had no idea they could be 
so heavy. I had hardly taken off the rest of 
my accoutrements when a call sounded through 
the hall: ''Nagle, Nagle!'' My corner answered : 
"Here, Here!'' It was now quite dark; as I 
approached the entrance or exit, I met my eldest 
brother, who was looking for me. 

I have related elsewhere that he had charge 
of a large force of railroad carpenters, with 
headquarters at Alexandria. I need hardly 
assure you that it did not require much urging 
on his part, to have me accompany him to his 
boarding place. I left all my belongings in the 
corner, and told my comrades I would be back 
in the morning. I went with him, and had a 
hot cooked supper, instead of the water-soaked 
mess in my haversack, a clean, dry bed to sleep 
in — the first time I had slept in a house and 
bed since leaving Buffalo, over a year before. 
After breakfast next morning I rejoined my 
comrades in the hall. The return march to 
Alexandria was ended, but The End was not yet. 

It developed about this time that there was 
a difference of opinion between the General 
commanding. Gen. McClellan, and those in 
authority over him, regarding the number of 

[21] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

troops to go with him to the Peninsula. Gen. 
McClellan wanted to take his entire army (this 
did not include the nondescript forces within 
the fortifications of Washington) while the 
higher authorities did not want the Washington 
front stripped entirely of the active field army, 
laying the Capital open to an easy attack by 
the enemy. President Lincoln did not want to 
take the responsibility to decide, left that to 
the military arm of the Government, thought 
McClellan's plan might succeed, *'if he moved 
quick enough," but insisted that Washington 
must be left safe beyond all peradventure. This 
resulted in detaining the First Army Corps, 
General McDowell commanding, on the Wash- 
ington front, from which, however, two divisions 
were later on sent to the Peninsula; the rest of 
the Army embarked at Alexandria and went to 
the Peninsula. The campaign on the Peninsula 
under McClellan has no part in these remin- 
iscences. 

I believe that the Army of the Potomac in 
the Spring of 1862, before it left the environs of 
Washington, was the best organized and equipped 
ever organized on this Continent — there was 
not one conscript or drafted man in the ranks. 
It was fresh and soft and lacked experience to 
be sure, but was on the way of hardening and 
getting experience. In my opinion, it should 
never have been divided into parts that would 

[22 1 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

not be in easy supporting distance of each other, 
unless indeed it was large enough so that either 
of the parts was strong enough to cope success- 
fully by itself with any combination of forces 
the enemy might possibly bring against it — this 
it was not claimed to be. Furthermore, there 
was just as good opportunity for fighting and 
keeping the Capital covered at the same time, 
as there was hundreds of miles away. There is 
no doubt but that the safety of Washington 
was the most important consideration, as Lincoln 
insisted upon, and had the entire army gone to 
the Peninsula, the chances are that the Con- 
federates would have made so formidable an 
attack on Washington, perhaps before the last 
of the Army had disembarked on the Peninsula, 
that the government would have been com- 
pelled to recall the Army to defend the Capital, 
if not actually to recapture it from the Confed- 
erates, as it was obliged to recall later what had 
gone, after it was defeated. 

Strategy is all right in itself, and is not to 
be ignored, but after all, war is destructive and 
can only be won by the destruction of the man- 
power and resources of your adversary, by the 
continued hammering, grinding and chewing, as 
was done by Grant, two years later. This can 
generally be done as well on one field as another; 
there is strategy to be exercised on the actual 
field of battle, as well as in the general campaign, 

[23 1 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

and I believe it to be even more important to 
gain victories than the general strategy of the 
campaign, but devolves more upon the officers 
and troops on the field, though not wholly, than 
upon the general command. 

While the rest of the Army of the Potomac 
was embarking and on its way, the First Army 
Corps, under General McDowell, started again 
on its march southward — this time Fredericks- 
burg on the Rappahannock was our destination. 
We met no Confederate forces till we reached 
Fredericksburg, and then only a few, who seemed 
quite willing we should take possession. We 
were, however, overtaken on the way by a 
most severe snowstorm, which lasted several 
days, a wet heavy snow, the fields were 
covered to a depth of from 10 to 12 inches with 
a soft wet snow. This broke up the organiza- 
tions for the time being more efi^ectually than 
a large force of Confederates could have done. 
It however, cleared the atmosphere, the sun came 
out bright, and soon after hot. We resumed our 
march; but a very few days later, when we had 
completed the alloted distance for that day's 
march and had left the road to prepare for the 
bivouac, it was announced that there was no 
water anywhere near, and were requested to 
march on five miles farther where there was 
said to be plenty of good water. Of course we 
"fell in'' and resumed our march. We had gone 

[24] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

on the road but a short distance when a thunder 
storm came up, the rain came down in torrents, 
it grew dark, we could see the pools of water 
and mud puddles only by the flashes of the 
lightning, but we trudged on until we reached 
our destination for that day. The rain had 
stopped, but night had set in, we were in a new 
country that had apparently not been visited by 
any army, for the rail fences were fine and high, 
and I assure you it did not take us long after 
breaking ranks to start a rousing big fire by 
which to dry ourselves. Next morning every- 
thing was serene and we again resumed our 
march to Fredericksburg. 

Little worthy of note occurred while we were 
at Fredericksburg — it was one round of guard 
and picket duty, drill and camp duty. We were 
encamped most of the time on Marie's Heights, 
the exact ground that the Confederate Army 
fortified and held securely the following Decem- 
ber against Burnside's onslaughts. Our Com- 
pany was for a time guard at McDowell's head- 
quarters, at the ''Lacey House." By the way, 
I met Maj. Lacey of the Confederate Army 
some years after the War, and he told me that 
what we called the "Lacey House" was really 
named ''Chatham." 

At one time our Company was detailed to 
guard a foraging train of wagons outside of our 

[25] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

lines. We repulsed the attack of a force of 
irregulars or bushwhackers — nothing serious, 
but the weather was very hot. 

After our return to camp I had a great crav- 
ing for a drink of whiskey. I feared I would 
have an attack of sickness if I didn't get it. I 
will here state that up to that time of my life, 
I do not believe that I had even tasted 
either beer, wine or whiskey, yet the craving 
was so great I did not want to disregard 
it, so I bided my time until I could see Johnnie 
Mansfield alone — he had been my tent mate, 
but was at that time keeper of the medicines in 
the Surgeon's tent. I said, ''Johnnie, I want 
a good strong drink of whiskey." 'Theodore, I 
haven't any except what is saturated with qui- 
nine." "Well, give me some of that." "Come 
around to the back of the tent" — a wall tent. 
He brought out a big jug and a glass, I held the 
glass. "Now, Johnnie, I don't know how much 
is a good stiff drink, but I want it." He poured 
out about one-third of a glassful. "Oh, Johnnie, 
I can drink more than that." "Well, Theodore, 
it's pretty strong." "Oh, fill it up, Johnnie." 
He laughed, but filled the glass; I drank it like 
that much cool spring water, and to my own 
surprise it had no other effect upon me than it 
would had it been spring water, except that it 
satisfied my craving. I have had no such crav- 
ing or experience since, and this was over sixty 

[26] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

years ago. Now, while I have been a teetotaler 
or nearly such all my life, and have never 
been financially or otherwise interested in the 
liquor business directly or indirectly, if the 
subject were an open question I would be 
strongly opposed to a Prohibition Amendment, 
and the Volstead enforcement law. 

It is an interesting speculation what the 
Patriots of 1776 would have said or done had 
King George and his associates constructed an 
Eighteenth Amendment, passed a Volstead 
enforcement law, supplemented it with a 
Pinchot Dry law, and spent millions upon 
millions of dollars of their hard earned money 
to "Reform" them, to search the passengers of 
railroad trains, and passing automobiles for 
what — for witches.? No, for a bottle of wine! 

Enough said 

To come down to more recent times that are 
within the memory of the living: Horace Greeley 
the greatest American Editor, would, upon occa- 
sions say, "That must be law for it isn't common 
sense." What would he say were he living now.f^ 
From this it would appear that Horace Greeley 
was not possessed of an idolatrous reverence 
for Law. He was, nevertheless, the greatest 
living Disciple of Justice (to all) and Liberty. 
Lest I may be misunderstood, I will say in 
imitation of the spirit of what many of our 
politicians have said "I am not writing an 

[27] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

Anti-anti-saloon or anti law enforcement article 
— Oh no, I am only jotting down a few 
reminiscences of the long, long ago. 

At one time I had been to view a fine dam 
and lock across the Rappahannoc River, above 
Falmouth; this made a fine large reservoir of 
water between steep hills on both banks of the 
river. Going back to camp I roamed over the 
fields or commons, I do not think there were 
any streets or roads, and came across an old 
neglected grave, the ground was sunken in and 
overgrown with weeds, there was no enclosure 
either of the grave or the field, and no other 
grave anywhere in sight. It probably had re- 
ceived no care since it was made many years 
before. A small headstone, probably twelve to 
fifteen inches square, all out of plumb, informed 
me that Mary Washington was buried there. 
I do not know whether or not the beautiful 
memorial now erected in her honor is on the site 
of this grave, it seemed to me to be a little farther 
from town, but the town may have grown that 
way. At any rate, if it is not on the site of that 
grave it is near it. 

We remained at Fredericksburg until about 
the first of August, when we became a part of 
General Pope's Army. 



28] 



III. 

In Pope's Virginia Campaign in 1862. 

EARLY IN AUGUST, 1862, while still 
located at Fredericksburg, we became a part of 
Pope's Army; he was concentrating the armies in 
front of Washington, of which he had command, 
and which were scattered from Acquia Creek and 
Fredericksburg on the left to the Shenandoah 
Valley on the right. King's division, of which 
we were a part marched from Fredericksburg 
to Culpepper and Cedar Mountain, where we 
arrived after dark on the evening of the day of 
the battle of Cedar Mountain, expecting to do 
battle the following morning. 

I will here recall that General McClellan's 
campaign on the Peninsula had ended in failure, 
and in fact his entire Army was recalled to Wash- 
ington, and was at that time on the way back 
to Acquia Creek and Washington. This had 
left the principal Confederate Army, which had 
defeated McClellan, without an enemy in front, 
and therefore free to take the offensive against 
Washington, and which campaign they, the 
Confederates, were then inaugurating, and it was 
the plan of the Union Commanders to hold with 
Pope's Army the line of the Rappahannock, until 
McClellan's troops could arrive to re-enforce it 
and then resume the offensive. 

[29] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

Now Cedar Mountain, where we were, must 
be forty or more miles in advance of Rappahan- 
nock, so the retreat of this advanced army began. 
We acted as rear guard, and that is particularly 
hard, trying duty, marching slowly day and 
night. When the column comes to a stop, it may 
be for fifteen minutes or it may be for only one- 
half minute, always you must keep **closed up'' 
and that don't give time even to sit down, and 
this, when kept up, becomes very tiresome. 

We arrived at and crossed the Rappahannock 
(on the stringers of a destroyed railroad bridge), 
in due time, without molestation, but then con- 
siderable skirmishing took place for a number of 
days, the heaviest of which I was engaged in was 
at Sulphur Springs, where artillery was also in 
action — some of the hotel buildings were de- 
stroyed by fire. 

After holding the line of the Rappahannock 
for some days, it became evident that the Con- 
federates were planning to outflank us before 
the troops from the Peninsula could re-enforce 
us to any considerable extent. The army was, 
therefore, ordered to retreat to the vicinity of 
Manassas. For a few days following, there was 
much marching and counter-marching, on the 
same road, or here, there and elsewhere. Of 
course for the most part we in the ranks did 
not know the reason, the cause or the object 
of all this; we obeyed orders and indulged in 

[30] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

more or less grumbling, yet these few days were 
days of great moment. 

Pope's campaign was coming to a climax, 
and the Union and Confederate Armies of 
Virginia were soon to meet in mortal combat; 
in fact were engaged in it then. Much has been 
written of the movement of troops, orders of 
generals and so forth, mostly in criticism of these 
days; I have read much of it. I will say that 
General Pope and his army were in a critical 
position, a larger force of Confederates than his 
own was confronting him, and the large re- 
enforcements promised him by the War Depart- 
ment were not arriving fast enough. For this 
Pope was not to blame. For one matter equally 
if of not more important, however, I consider 
him to blame, and that is that he did not have 
the information regarding the enemy's move- 
ments that he should have had, especially as 
he was on the defensive, and that I think he 
could have obtained if he had exerted himself 
more efficiently in that direction. It is not my 
purpose to trace the movements of the different 
bodies of troops in these days — that is impos- 
sible, and will recall only one or two incidents. 
Of course we took a most active and lively part 
in all that was going — marching, skirmishing, 
fighting battles, and so forth. Again I record 
my opinion that General McDowell should have 
been appointed to the command of this Army 

[ 31] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

instead of General Pope. I think he would have 
done much better than did Pope. 

In a general way it may be said that on the 
28th day of August, 1862, that part of General 
Pope's Army that had been for some days along 
the Rappahannock was on the march toward 
Manassas, our. King's Division, bringing up the 
rear. About four o'clock in the afternoon we, 
the 21st New York Regiment were marching 
along with the rest of the division on the 
Warrenton Turnpike, at a point between Gains- 
ville and the Stone Bridge across the Bull Run, 
unaware of any enemy being near, when suddenly 
a rebel battery fired on us at short range from a 
hill at our left. The shells went over us, the 
range was so short, I wonder they didn't use 
grape and cannister. Instantly, before word 
could possibly come from any other part of the 
line our Colonel, Wm. F. Rogers, gave the com- 
mand clear and distinct as a bugle call: 
^'Companies *C' and *D' deploy as skirmishers." 
Without a moments' hesitation we (I was a 
member of "C" Co.) deployed and advanced 
up the hill, promptly followed by the rest of 
the Regiment, in fact in short order by the 
entire King's Division. 

When we skirmishers developed the enemy 
line of infantry, our regiment coming up, we took 
our places in the line, and then followed a most 
sanguinary battle. For a little distance we drove 

[32] 




THEO. M. NAGLE 



JOHN H. MANSFIELD 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

the enemy, but then it became a stand-up fight, 
neither side giving way. It was mostly musketry 
firing at our part of the fine, and was kept up 
until after dark, firing at the flash of the enemy 
fire. When firing finally ceased, about nine 
P.M., we held the most advanced position we had 
had. Then what was to be done? We had no 
orders to advance or to retreat, so we stood in 
our tracks for a long time, while our officers 
were trying to find out from higher oflScers 
what we were to do, to remain there and resume 
the fight in the morning, or to retrace our steps 
to the Warrenton Pike, and continue our march 
to Manassas, which was interrupted by this 
event not on the schedule. We understood that 
no word could be obtained from headquarters, 
so the Division Commanders concluded to carry 
out the last orders, viz: to march to Manassas. 
In the meantime we in the ranks had lain down 
and gone to sleep until about one o'clock when 
we were awakened to resume the march that 
had been so ruthlessly interrupted, and at about 
daylight arrived at the point near Manassas to 
await further orders, which came soon enough. 
Our action in leaving the battlefield after the 
battle was over, and continuing the march that 
was interrupted has been much criticised by 
critics, but it seems to me that it was the only 
thing to do under the orders. 

[33] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

This battle was called by us, the Battle of 
Kings Division, while all the accounts I have 
read of it mentions it as the battle of August 
28th. (Sometimes called the battle of Gaines- 
ville). The Reports say **Losses on both sides 
were very severe, the Confederates losing many 
officers of high rank." On our side it is stated 
in report of General Gordon that, "more than 
one-third of the Federal command were left 
dead or wounded on the field." General Jackson 
(Stonewall Jackson, the Confederate Command- 
er) called it "a fierce and sanguinary conflict." 

The following day, August 29th, we lay idle 
for several hours in the afternoon on a hillside 
overlooking the battlefield of Groveton, less than 
half a mile away. We could see plainly the move- 
ments of the troops with their flags on both sides 
as far as the smoke of battle permitted us to see, 
and wondered why we were not ordered into 
the fight. At last, perhaps about six o'clock 
or after, came a courier, stafl^ officer or orderly, 
and we moved off in the direction of the field of 
conflict. We met some regiments coming out, 
and it seemed that we were to relieve them, and 
we made our way to the extreme front. In the 
meantime it had been getting dark, and the 
battle was over; we had accomplished nothing, 
had not fired a shot, but all the uncertainties of 
the situation gave rise to much anxiety — per- 
haps more than we had experienced the evening 

[34] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

before in the battle. At one time we were fired 
upon, in the dark, by troops of our side, but as 
far as I know no damage was done. A Httle later 
in our movements in the dark, we came upon 
a Federal battery that was ready to fire grape 
and cannister into us, and would have done so 
in another minute, except for the lucky and 
timely explanation made by one of our officers. 
Going still a little further we stopped on a hill 
side, dropped to the ground, and in a few minute 
were so sound asleep nothing short of the boom- 
ing of battle could have awakened us. It was 
here that our Lieutenant George Hurst was 
shot through the palm of his hand. 

After idling away a number of hours on a 
pleasant afternoon, we were called upon to go 
through, for a number of hours well into the 
night, a most perplexing and anxious experience, 
and had accomplished nothing. 

The following day, August 30th, 1862, oc- 
curred the momentous *'Second Battle of Bull 
Run." Of course we were in it from first to last, 
and while I am quite familiar with most of the 
details and remember plainly many of the scenes 
and experiences, I will not here relate them. 
The battle-field proper, that is the arena upon 
which the two armies contended for victory that 
day, is about two miles square or a little more. 
It is or was generally open, that is free of woods, 
except at the southerly edge, the ground rolling, 

[35] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

in fact quite hilly — the highest ground being 
south of the Turnpike, around and back of the 
Henry House Hill, and Bald Hill opposite. The 
ground being free of woods mostly, enabled me 
at times to see all parts of the field where the 
conflict was going on, this, together with the 
fact that I have been nearly all over the ground 
several times since the War, and have read 
many accounts of the battle and the entire 
campaign, and especially because I was *'in it" 
all the time, makes me feel quite familiar with 
the subject. 

The battle was the most sanguinary I was 
ever in; other battles I participated in were 
sanguinary in spots, but this was sanguinary all 
along the line, all the time, and the advantages 
of the ground pretty nearly equal to both sides, 
except when Jackson's Corps took shelter behind 
an unfinished railroad embankment, with the 
field in front of him enfiladed by Longstreet's 
batteries, and we going blindly to the attack, 
time and again with tremendous losses on our 
side and but little on theirs. I think now, that 
if we could not have coaxed Jackson and his 
men to come away from their shelter, dared 
them to come out, or outflanked them, we should 
have let them stay there as long as they pleased; 
we had as much time for the business in hand as 
they, and could wait as long (we were getting 
pay by the month, not by the job.) The urgency 

[36] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

was not so great as to take chances in such a 
trap prepared for us. Seriously, if the one who 
gave the order to dislodge Jackson in that posi- 
tion with frontal attacks had been on the ground 
when the first line of attack was shattered, and 
if he had had any sense he would have concluded 
all other lines would be shattered in the same 
way, he would have given the order to withdraw, 
saved lives on our side, and used the troops 
elsewhere to better advantage. 

The battle began about the middle of the 
day with our attack on Jackson's troops, north 
of the Warrenton Turnkipe, and developed 
toward our left, culminating in the most severe 
fights, first on Bald Hill and then on the Henry 
House Hill, to both of which troops that had 
been in line on our right were rushed during the 
battle. As the day drew to a close our army 
began to withdraw to the east bank of Bull Run, 
protected by our troops holding the Henry 
House Hill; by midnight our entire army was 
between Bull Run and Centreville. Pope's army 
had been defeated, but not routed or destroyed; 
every organization was complete, though deci- 
mated, and could have been depended on to 
carry out any orders, so far as its numbers were 
able. 

The battle of Chantilly, which is some six 
or seven miles north of Centreville, came next, 
in which I also participated. While this battle 

[37] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

was going on, a severe electrical storm raged 
most of the time, followed by a heavy down- 
pour of rain; our part of the line was in a forest, 
with much underbrush; the noted General Phil. 
Kearny and General Stevens were among the 
killed. 

By this time troops from the Peninsula were 
arriving, and I hold they should all have been 
forwarded to Pope at Centreville as fast as 
possible, and permitted him to take the offensive, 
which he surely could have and would have done 
successfully with the substantial re-enforce- 
ments. Instead of that, he was ordered to 
withdraw his Army to the Defenses of Washing- 
ton. Much could be said and written on this 
action, but I will not enter upon that. 

In accordance with these orders we were 
soon on the march again toward Washington, 
and one night, long after dark, as we came to a 
halt we bivouaced beside the road and in the 
morning found it was right in front of our old 
camping ground on Upton Hill and immediately 
occupied it. The weather was hot, and I had 
put up my little shelter tent and lay in the shade 
of it, when I heard some one inquiring for me. 
I jumped out of the tent instantly and saw my 
eldest brother. I was glad to see him of course, 
and he was greatly relieved to see me. I have 
told elsewhere that he had charge of a large force 
of railroad carpenters at Alexandria, and he had 

[38] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

started out to find me, inquiring on the way for 
the Twenty-first, New York. He was repeatedly 
told, '*0h, the 21st is all cut up'' or "Oh, the 
21st is all cut to pieces." When at last our loca- 
tion on Upton Hill was pointed out to him, and 
he saw only a small batch of shelter tents put 
up, he thought the report that the 21st was all 
"cut to pieces" must be true, and his faith in 
finding me was at a low ebb; however, when I 
jumped out of my tent he was satisfied that 
though the 21st may be all cut up, I was not 
cut up. We spent some little time together 
chatting, and then he started on his way back 
to Alexandria, while I awaited orders, which 
came very soon. 

We were now in General McClellan's com- 
mand, and were about to start on the Maryland 
Campaign. Orders came promptly to march 
over the "Long Bridge" to and through Wash- 
ington. We made no stop in Washington. There 
were many new and old troops in Washington 
at the time, the streets were lined with soldiers, 
mostly new troops, seeing us old vets marching 
through Washington. While I remember that 
we entered Washington by way of the "Long 
Bridge" I do not remember which street or 
road we took on our way out. Rockville, Mary- 
land, is the first town I remember passing. We 
had now got fairly started on the Maryland 
Campaign of 1862. 

[39] 



IV. 
An Incident of the Battle of Antietam. 

THE FIRST ARMY CORPS, of which we 
were a part, had been engaged with the enemy 
since early dawn, on the 17th of September, 1862, 
the details of which I will not attempt to trace 
now. When sometime in the course of the fore- 
noon, the exact hour I cannot give, the entire 
Corps seems to have been at rest, our Brigade, 
our Regiment was resting on the northern edge of 
a piece of woods, but a little distance from the 
Bunker's Church, but on lower ground than the 
church. The regiments at this time were no 
larger than a company should be, if even as large. 
Our men were mostly squatted on the ground, 
some making coffee. Our Colonel, Wm. F. 
Rogers and Brigade Commander, Gen. M. R. 
Patrick, both on horseback, talking together 
quietly. Then, over an open field on our left, 
came a new full Regiment, new uniforms, new 
flag, full ranks, and a battery, marching in line 
of battle past us, toward the front. It was an 
inspiring and cheering sight. It was a part of 
the Twelfth Corps coming to relieve or re-enforce 
the First. 

But a short time after this, our Colonel and 
General still chatting, and myself standing near 

[40] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

by — General Patrick wore a common blue 
blouse and a light colored soft slouched hat, 
only the star on his shoulder indicating his rank 
— there came galloping from the front a colonel 
in full uniform (apparently new), a fine looking 
man, long black whiskers, dark eyes and rosy 
cheeks, and coming to a stop before General 
Patrick, saluted and said: ''General, I have 
orders to hold these woods to yonder fence. I 
have only thirteen hundred men, what is there 
to support me?" Our Colonel said: **I wish I 
had thirteen hundred men." The General 
pointed toward the Twenty-first and said in his 
calm, quiet way: ''There is the Twenty-first, 
and yonder the Thirty-fifth, we'll support you 
good and strong." The Colonel looked, smiled 
cheerfully, (I suppose at the idea of those little 
squads supporting his big regiment), saluted, 
turned and galloped rapidly to the front. He 
was the Colonel of the big regiment we had 
just seen going to the front. 

But a short time after this we heard the 
old familiar Rebel yell, volleys of musketry, 
bursting of shells, shouting, words of command 
and tumult in general, and presently the big, 
fine Regiment had dissolved into a big unwieldy 
crowd, coming back pell mell without any order 
or organization. 

In the meantime the order came, "Twenty- 
first, fall in! Forward!" and we passed through 

[411 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

this big crowd going pell mell to the rear, we 
in proper order to the front. I was never more 
proud of our little regiment. I, as Sergeant, 
marching beside the ranks, tried to have some 
out of the crowd fall in with us, several hesitated, 
but seeing their big crowd surging back, kept 
on rearward. When we had passed the last of 
the retreating regiment, we deployed in line of 
battle, and advanced a short distance. The 
rebels had not followed in force, and what did 
follow was stopped with a few shots. We, the 
small remnant of a brigade of the First Army 
Corps had thus established a firm front line — 
though thin — between the enemy and the dis- 
organized part of the Twelfth Corps. And this 
at a time when some writer trying to describe 
the battle has said of about this time and place, 
that the 'Tirst Army Corps was annihilated, 
did not exist," well, I think for a small part of 
an annihilated Corps we came in pretty handy, 
and did pretty well. 

A word regarding the rout of this new regi- 
ment. If the orders to that regiment had been: 
*'When you reach that line, advance and attach 
the enemy vigorously, inflict all the damage you 
can, drive him into the Potomac, your supports 
will take care of your flanks and rear" instead 
of ''hold'' etc., which means **stand still and 
await an attack" I do not suppose that the 
order would have been carried out fully, but I 

[42] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

firmly believe that it would have given a good 
account of itself, inflicted damage on the enemy 
and held its ground, and probably driven back 
the enemy. In an advance to attack, disciplined 
troops are apt to gain courage with every step, 
while "hold'' in an unprotected, exposed position, 
awaiting attack, is apt to let some of the courage 
ooze out. 

I have told what I started to tell, and having 
a little more spare time (though you probably 
have not) I will make a few remarks in general 
regarding McClellan's campaign in Maryland, 
based upon my experience and observation in 
the ranks of an infantry regiment throughout 
the entire campaign, and my reading since the 
Civil War. 

McClellan seems to have transferred the 
newly reorganized Army of the Potomac from 
Washington to the scene of conflict at the 
Antietam with commendable system and reason- 
able dispatch, though not with great energy. It 
was evidently his problem to get his army to the 
field of conflict not only expeditiously, but to 
have it arrive there in fit condition to fight a 
big battle, for the entire army of Northern 
Virginia, with General Robert E. Lee in com- 
mand, was his objective, and this I think he 
accomplished successfully. I think the army 
was in better condition when it arrived at the 
Antietam, than when it left Washington, and 

[43] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

it had made good time. As a part of our work 
I will mention that we arrived at the Monocacy, 
four miles east of Frederick, Saturday evening 
after dark, September 13, 1862, and bivouaced 
over night on the left bank of the stream, and 
at dawn of day the next morning, Sunday, 
September 14th, cooked our coffee and immedi- 
ately after resumed our march, soon passing 
through Frederick and on toward South Moun- 
tain. After passing through Frederick the road 
was mostly up grade and much of the way we 
infantry had to march beside the road, while the 
Artillery and Cavalry had the road. When with- 
in a few miles of the gap where the road crosses 
the summit of the mountain, we were dispatched 
some distance to the right of the road, and 
Companies "C" and "D" were soon deployed 
as skirmishers and going up the steep mountain 
side, closely followed by the lines of battle. 
We met no enemy until we reached the very 
top, when suddenly and quite unexpectedly from 
a line very near us, hid by a fence and under- 
brush, there came a terrific volley of musketry. 
Fortunately for us the side of the mountain was 
very steep at this point, and though quite close 
to the rebel line, we were on considerably lower 
ground than they, which resulted in their fire 
passing over us almost harmlessly, while our 
return fires were particularly efi^ective. In the 
meantime darkness was gradually coming on, 

[44 1 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

we advanced slightly onto the level ground on top, 
and slept on our most advanced line. The next 
morning the sun rose bright and on time, as if 
nothing had happened. A rebel officer came in 
under a flag of truce to get the body of a general 
officer who had been killed in the battle. He 
told us that that battle was not a test of strength 
between the two armies, but that they were pre- 
paring for us a few miles beyond which would be. 
Well, after coffee we descended the mountain- 
side and found our way back to the Boonesboro 
road, then through the gap, Boonesboro, Keedys- 
ville and early on the morning of the 16th we 
reached the Antietam. No particular fault can 
be found with all this, if only McClellan had 
ordered Hooker with the First Army Corps to 
cross the Antietam immediately, closely followed 
by the Twelfth under Mansfield, and ordered to 
attack vigorously by the First Army Corps with 
the Twelfth Corps, not only in support but in 
co-operation. Instead of this we passed most of 
the day in idleness on the left bank, and not until 
after four o'clock in the afternoon, did we cross 
the Antietam, miles up the stream, at a ford (so 
called), where the water was hip deep, and then 
marching miles on the other side of the stream 
to find the enemy. It left barely time to find 
and locate a line from which to advance and 
attack the enemy at dawn of day on the morning 
of the 17th of September, 1862. 

[45] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

This, however, was notice to General Lee, 
the Rebel Commander, what part of his line 
would be attacked in the morning by the First 
Army Corps under General Hooker. He had all 
night to prepare for it, and you may be sure that 
he concentrated at this point all the troops 
available for the purpose of not only meeting 
this attack, but, if possible, to overwhelm, 
defeat and "chew up'' the First Army Corps, 
before re-enforcements could come to it. You 
may also be sure that General Joe Hooker lost 
no time the next morning to get into the fight. 

At early dawn the first shot fired on either 
side came from our battery, followed instantly 
by the fire of the rebel battery, and simulta- 
neously we, the Infantry, moved forward in line 
of battle to the attack. The battle was on, and 
for several hours it was furious, of course not 
continuously firing by everyone, but at times 
manoeuvering, either to face the enemy at 
another point, or to attack him from another 
angle. In the meantime, the killed and seriously 
wounded were strewn over the field, at times 
at places it seemed as if there were more soldiers 
killed and wounded, lying flat on the ground, 
than were upright in the ranks facing the enemy. 

All of our fighting was in the vicinity of the 
Dunker's Church — never far from it. The 
noise of artillery fire, exploding shells and mus- 
ketry fire was much of the time deafening. 

[46 1 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

As stated before I think General McClellan 
brought his Army, The Army of the Potomac, 
successfully to the Antietam in fit condition, but I 
also think that if, when the Army reached the 
Antietam, the command had been given to 
General McDowell to cross the Antietam and 
fight the battle, McDowell would have done 
better than McClellan did, and the former was 
a Virginian, the latter a Pennsylvanian. While 
I am telling what I think, I will also say that I 
think the command that was given to General 
Pope early in the summer in Virginia, should 
have been given to General McDowell. I think 
he would have done better than did General 
Pope. He knew the country better, the army 
better, was a thorough soldier and a gentleman, 
and I think entitled to it. While a Virginian by 
birth, he had proved his loyalty to the Army and 
the Government. It was said that there was 
much hesitancy in Administrative quarters to 
give McDowell the important command given 
him early in 1861, on account of being a Virginian 
but that General Winfield Scott, who, I 
believe was also a Virginian, and then still the 
highest officer in the United States Army, 
vouched for his loyalty and he held for a time 
the most important position in the Army and 
should have been backed, in that field, by all the 
resources of the War Department. 

[47 1 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

The battle of Antietam, while not as decisive 
and disastrous to the Confederate Army as, in 
my opinion, it could and should have been, in- 
flicted most severe losses upon the enemy, and 
instead of his threatening Washington, Baltimore 
and Pennsylvania, was driven out of the Union 
State of Maryland into the Confederate State of 
Virginia. It ended successfully the Maryland 
campaign, and was a great and important victory 
for the Union Cause. 

The rejoicings throughout the loyal North 
were well nigh boundless. Union victories in 
the dark days of 1862 were scarce. It also 
heartened President Lincoln in his purpose to 
issue the Emancipation Proclamation he had 
been urged to issue during the summer, but 
he insisted upon awaiting a more opportune 
time, when after an important Union victory 
he would appear to have the power to enforce 
the Proclamation. I suppose he thought that 
without such victory the Proclamation would 
seem like issuing a **Bull against the Comet." 
Well, we gave him, the country and the world 
such a Victory and his ^'Emancipation Procla- 
mation" soon followed. 



48 



^^^^^ 




W^L 


fe"- ^ 


Wl^s^ 


EpL 



HENRY A. OBERIST 



JOHN H. MANSFIELD 



THEO. M. NAGLE 



V. 

THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM had been 
fought September 17, 1862, our brigade com- 
mander. Brigadier General M. R. Patrick, a 
regular army officer, had returned from General 
McClellan's headquarters late that evening, and 
told us, while he was still on horseback, of the 
progress of the battle along the entire front, 
during the day, and ended by saying: ''and in 
the morning we will go at them again." 

Thus it was, that on the morning of Sep- 
tember 18th, 1862, before daylight, I was cook- 
ing my coffee in a quart tin cup, a few rods back 
of my place in the ranks, or back of the ranks, 
as I was acting Sergeant during the battle. Of 
course I had no sausage, pancakes, bread and 
butter or cream with my coffee. I had a simple 
soldier's breakfast — black coffee, hard tack and 
salt pork. 

By daylight we had formed in line of battle, 
ready instantly to carry out any order we might 
receive. Our line, the line of our regiment, was 
not as long as it was in the spring when we left 
Upton's Hill, near Falls Church, in front of 
Washington, indeed, it was not as long as it was 

[49] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

a week or two before when we marched through 
Washington to meet the Confederate Army in 
Maryland, but it was made up of young men 
who had been in numerous skirmishes and battles, 
We were among the oldest troops in the service 
and had all the experience in warfare it was 
possible to get in Virginia and Maryland from the 
first battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861, to the 
battle of Antietam in Maryland, September 17, 
1862, under Generals McDowell, Pope, Hooker 
and McClellan, and could be depended upon to 
carry out any order, or die in the attempt — 
pardon the expression. And thus we stood in line 
all day, momentarily expecting orders to advance ; 
no such order or any other order came that day, 
not a shot was fired by either side, nor did a 
regiment, as far as I could see, move from the 
ground it had occupied all night. We had cam- 
paigned and marched under General Pope all 
summer, under McClellan in Maryland, and 
had not slept or bivouaced two nights on the 
same ground since we left Fredericksburg for 
Slaughter or Cedar Mountain, until then. For 
weeks we had marched in Maryland to face the 
Confederate Army, had fought it or a large part 
of it at South Mountain and whipped it Septem- 
ber 14th, had attacked and whipped their main 
army under General Lee in their chosen position 
back of the Antietam, on the 16th and 17th of 
September, were ready to follow up the fight 

[50] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

on the 18th, but did not receive the order to 
attack. 

The early morning of the 19th was Hke that 
of the 18th — on the same ground, preparing 
for the work of the day. We had been in hne 
but a short time when the announcement came 
that there were no Rebels in front of us, they 
had retreated across the Potomac, and were 
well along into Virginia. We did not capture 
even a straggler or a gun, except what we cap- 
tured during the battle. 

We were soon to attack this same army 
again between two or three months later, 
December 13th, in a position much more ad- 
vantageous to it at Fredericksburg, back of the 
Rappahannock. Why did not McClellan give 
the order to advance and attack on the morning 
of the 18th.? In his official report of this battle 
he states as one of the reasons for not continuing 
the battle or following immediately the retreating 
enemy, that "the army was without shoes in 
good condition." The excuse is so flimsy, when 
all the conditions existing at that time are con- 
sidered, that no comment, aside from the above 
statement is needed. 

Well, we crossed the battle field that day, 
burying parties were detailed to bury the dead, 
some two thousand of the Union Army alone, 
and went into camp near Sharpsburg, and re- 
mained there about six weeks. Then the order 

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Reminiscences of the Civil War 

came to march into Virginia and find Lee and 
his Army, or go to Richmond. We were a part 
of the First Army Corps, and our regiment was 
near the head, and as the army seemed to be 
marching all on one road we were near the head 
of a very long line of troops. As we approached 
Warrenton, the army came to a halt, we were 
drawn up in line, the Adjutant read to us the 
order relieving General McClellan from the 
command of the Army, and turn it over to 
General Burnside. We remained in line a short 
time, then the order came, "Attention! Present 
Arms!" and the bands along the line struck up 
"Hail to the Chief.'' Simultaneously came 
General McClellan and a part of his staff, riding 
along the line at a fast gallop, and as he disap- 
peared in the distance toward Washington he 
was our Commander no longer. General Burn- 
side was taking command. This was November 
8th, 1862. 

General McClellan, "Little Mack", was well 
liked by the army, both for his personal character 
and appearance, as well as for his military qual- 
ifications, and there were those who were dis- 
posed to criticise "Washington" for relieving him 
of the command, but we did not volunteer with 
the understanding that McClellan (not even 
"Little Mack") was to be our Commander. 
President Abraham Lincoln was our Commander 
in Chief and whatever he ordered or sanctioned 

[ 52] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

was "Our Order", and the matter was soon a 
closed incident, nothing more to be said. 

We continued our march southward, under 
Burnside. In some respects the march was dif- 
ferent from our usual, in this: that when the 
fields beside the road permitted, we were marched 
by regimental front instead of in column of four, 
and in route step in the road. Perhaps the in- 
ovation was a good idea, but the boys thought 
and said, that marching in the road, loaded with 
all accoutrements, weighing about 80 pounds, 
was hard enough, when kept up day after day. 
However, in due time we arrived at a point 
somewhere between Acquia Creek and Freder- 
icksburg, sometime near the end of November, 
1862, and now begins the incident or reminiscence 
I started out to tell, in which I was the hero, or 
in which I played a lone hand — take your 
choice. 

I had three brothers older than myself, who 
had charge of a large force of men, carpenters, 
upward of a thousand, to repair railroad bridges, 
cars, scows, warehouses, etc., or build them for 
for the railroads and the army, with head- 
quarters at Alexandria. One of them was later 
transferred to Nashville to organize and manage 
a like force of workingmen. Now while I was 
campaigning in Virginia one or another of them 
would occasionally look me up to see if I was 
still on duty, but after entering upon the Mary- 

[53] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

land campaign they had no opportunity to come 
to see me. I was, therefore, anxious to see them 
and let them know that I was still doing duty 
and ready for more. 

As before stated we were near the head of 
a long column of troops, and I judged we would 
remain at the spot we had reached several days 
to enable the rest to catch up and concentrate 
before moving on. 

In the meantime our Brigadier General 
Patrick had been appointed Provost Marshal 
General of the Army at General Burnside's 
headquarters. He was a strict disciplinarian; 
had been Provost Marshal of the City of Mexico 
under General Scott, and in anticipation of our 
next move onto Fredericksburg, strict orders 
were issued that no passes must be issued — 
every man to be accounted for at roll call; no 
passes to be recognized except those of the 
Provost Marshall General. Now here was a 
dilemma, but it was not to frustrate my designs 
for a trip to Alexandria. I had obtained a non- 
descript overcoat and hat, neither Rebel nor 
Union, and for the trip I was not be to an enlisted 
man, but a cook for an officers' mess to get 
vegetables, etc., at Alexandria. I had also 
arranged with some of my comrades that in the 
event of the Regiment moving before my return, 
my accoutrements and rifle were to be divided 
among them, and carried along. My Captain 

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Reminiscences of the Civil War 

and perhaps other officers knew unofficially that 
I was preparing for the trip, but they also knew, 
or felt certain that I would be back in time. 
During all the campaigns, battles and skirmishes 
in which our Regiment took part, I was with 
the Colors every hour, every minute, from the 
first to last, and they were justified in believing 
I would be back, and said nothing. 

But what about the passes.? We had in our 
Company a young man who had held clerical 
positions, and was an excellent penman, and 
clever at imitating hand-writings. His name 
was Eugene Dickinson — "Gene Dickson," for 
short. He was a good soldier and the champion 
grumbler in the ranks. To him I applied for 
my passes, five of them, and he readily wrote 
them out for me, the last one signed by Provost 
Marshal General Patrick. 

My preparations now being complete and 
armed with these ^'genuine Gene Dickson 
Passes" I started early next morning afoot for 
Acquia Creek, and upon arriving there I found 
a steamboat at the end of the Dock about ready 
to start for Washington and Alexandria, but 
they would not admit me on the strength of the 
passes I had. They expressed no doubts about 
their genuineness or general good character, but 
said I would have to get a pass from the Quarter- 
master of the port, or wharf, who had an office 
on shore, near the wharf. Gene Dickson was 

[55] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

miles away, so I concluded to try to get a pass 
at this Q. M. Office. The office building was 
a newly constructed affair with few windows. 
The place where I applied for the pass was a hole 
about one foot square in the wall; however, I 
made the attendant understand what I wanted, 
and showed him the passes I had, and after 
some hesitation and questioning he wrote out 
a pass, following the wording of those I had, and 
signed the Captain Quartermaster's name to it. 
Now, while this was not a "genuine Gene Dick- 
son Pass" it served me a good purpose later. 
While this had been going on, the steamboat 
I had expected to patronize on my trip to Alex- 
andria had taken its departure without me. 
Now what was I to do.^ There was scarcely 
any one in sight, everything was peaceful and 
quiet, but perhaps because of my G. D. passes 
I was a little apprehensive of being picked up 
by a patrol; I did not want to be questioned 
even. There was a steamboat, apparently laid 
up for the season a little way off, no steam up 
and only one man in sight. I asked him if the 
boat would be going to Alexandria. He didn't 
know but he thought it would go that night. 
So I went aboard and sat down on a coil of rope 
on the sunny side of the cabin. Directly a 
captain came aboard and calling in a loud voice 
for the captain of the boat, asked him how long 
it would take to get up steam. "About a half 

[56] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

hour." "All right, get up steam and go over 
to the Maryland side, and at a certain point 
take soundings, we may build a wharf there/' 
Accordingly we were soon steaming up the river. 

We had not been on the way long, when a 
man came out of the cabin door near me, and 
walking slowly past me, eyed me critically. 
Then another came in the same way, then a 
third, and shortly the three of them came to- 
gether and stopped in front of me. One asked 
me where I was going. I replied to Alexandria. 
He said, "This boat isn't going to Alexandria." 
"I know," I said, "you are going over to Mary- 
land, but will be back and then you'll go to 
Alexandria." 

"Got a pass.?" "Yes." and with that I arose 
and standing among the three, all stalwart men, I 
got out my "Gene Dickson passes", and explained, 
and finally I came to the pass that was not a 
"G. D.", and I said, "and this pass I got at the 
Quartermaster's Office in Acquia Creek." As I 
said that one of the men, a captain, who had 
not said a word before, took the pass out of my 
hand and pointed out to the others that I was 
not an enlisted man, and rather took my side 
after that. One asked rather emphatically, I 
thought, "Aint you an enlisted man.?" I said 
"No, not now, I was a three-months man." That 
seemed to satisfy him partly and after a little 

[57] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

further questioning they passed on. It turned 
out that one of the men was the captain of the 
boat, another was a War Department detective, 
and the third, who had finally taken my part was 
the Captain Quartermaster of the place, who 
had recognized his clerk's hand writing in the 
pass, with his name signed, and consequently 
defended the pass and myself. I can't tell you 
what would have been the result if this last pass 
had also been a ''Gene Dickson Pass". At 
any rate they obtained for me the pass that was 
important at this stage of the trip. 

The Potomac River is a mile or more wide 
at this point, and it did not take very long to 
complete the object of the trip to Maryland, 
so we were soon back to the wharf at Acquia 
Creek, and I remained aboard. Gradually in the 
course of a few hours the boat filled with pas- 
sengers, all Washington bound. I placed myself 
at the rail on the upper deck away from the 
wharf, I think my ''G. D." passes preferred 
that side, and looking over the water I saw a 
small tug boat coming. As it came nearer I 
discovered that the only passenger was my eldest 
brother. I shouted his name to the top of my 
voice, he appeared to have heard, for he looked 
up at the boat but with so many passengers 
evidently did not recognize me. In the meantime 
the little tug boat went ''chuck, chuck, chuck," 
and rapidly carried my brother past me. 

[58] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

I then hurried to the gang plank, onto the 
wharf, down toward the shore, and in a moment 
stood where the tug was making fast to the 
wharf, and I helped my brother up onto the 
dock. I tell you he was surprised and glad to 
see me, as likewise I was glad to see him. He 
intended to go to the army lines, look me up 
and give me a pair of new boots which he had 
brought along. I explained to him my situation, 
that I had ^'tickets" to Alexandria (my **Gene 
Dickson Passes") so we both hurried back 
to the boat, lest they might pull in the gang 
plank and be off, leaving us talking on the dock. 

Well, there was no more trouble or incident 
worth telling. In due time we arrived in 
Alexandria, and I slept that night inside of a 
house in a bed, the second time since I left 
Buffalo in April, 1861 — the first also in Alexan- 
dria. 

The next day I returned to camp by the same 
route, the regiment had not moved, my ac- 
coutrements were where I left them, and every- 
body was glad to see me, and indeed I was glad 
to be with them again, to take my place and 
my share in the further campaign against the 
Confederate army, the battle of Fredericksburg 
followed in a few days. 

I may here say that I do not believe in tell- 
ing or acting a lie, deception is no part of my 
make-up or nature, yet in time of War, in the 

[59] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

War zone, an innocent little ruse to attain a 
desired object, may be excusable if you are 
successful, and are not caught at it, and especially 
if you are still young. 



60 



VI. 

AFTER OUR DEFEAT at Fredericksburg, 
December 13, 1862, and retreat across the 
Rappahannock, we finally encamped on a steep, 
though not high wooded hillside near the 
Potomac, and built little huts of wood and clay, 
or mud. The side of the hill was not ideal for 
camp, but the soil was dry, and in general I 
believe, it was healthful, but we were not to 
remain here long. The Army of the Potomac 
was being reorganized for the next campaign. 
Hooker had taken the place of Burnside as 
Commander. 

Our regiment, the 21st, N. Y. S. Vol. Inf. 
consisted originally of about 1000 men. We 
had been sworn into the United States service 
May 7, 1861 for two years service, our term of 
enlistment would therefore expire about three 
months hence. We had seen much service, had 
encamped in 1861 for months on the edge of a 
dismal swamp, I doubt if any one of the regi- 
ment had escaped fever and ague. For practi- 
cally the entire year of 1862 we were on the 
move, marching and engaged in battles, skir- 
mishes, picket and scout duty, here, there and 
elsewhere in Virginia and Maryland — and, by 

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Reminiscences of the Civil War 

the way, it was at this camp that one evening 
at dress parade, our Adjutant, Chester W. 
Sternberg, read the order appointing me a Ser- 
geant, to date from the battle of Antietam, 
September 17, 1862. 

Our former Brigade Commander Brigadier 
General M. R. Patrick was still Provost Marshal 
General of the Army, and so the Regiment, 
what there was left of it, was ordered to Acquia 
Creek for guard duty. We had made ourselves 
quite comfortable in our camp and were rather 
reluctant to leave, but orders are orders, and 
every soldier knows what that means — you may 
be allowed to so some grumbling to relieve your 
feelings, but . 

Now it is a curious fact that while I remem- 
ber a vast number of incidents of battles, 
skirmishes, marches, campaigns and camp life, 
and remember them as distinctly as if they had 
happened but a few months ago, instead of 
sixty years, there are some events that evidently 
happened, but that I have no recollection of 
whatever, and try as hard as I can to recall it, 
at least to some extent, I am as unable to recall 
it as if it had never happened. 

This is the case regarding our march to 
Acquia Creek. I haven't the least recollection 
of the start, the march, or the arrival at Acquia, 
but we must have marched, for we got there, 
and there was no other way. 

[62] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

Acquia Creek was then the terminal of the 
railroad from Richmond to the Potomac River. 
There was a fine wharf for the landing of steam- 
boats, it was therefore used as the base of sup- 
plies for the Army of the Potomac, and conse- 
quently of much importance. 

I will here say that we, our regiment, had 
almost from our entrance into the service until 
then, been kept at the front, in as close touch 
with the enemy as it was possible to be, from as 
far back as before the first battle of Bull Run, 
July 21, 1861, until the close of the campaign 
against the enemy at Fredericksburg, a few weeks 
before. Our place, our experience was always 
*'at the front", never in rear of our front lines. 
I was therefore somewhat chagrined, disappoint- 
ed, perhaps somewhat humiliated, to be relegated 
to the rear to *'do guard duty", even if it was 
at the base of supplies for the Army, while the 
army was being reorganized for further cam- 
paigns, leaving us out of the reckoning. To be 
sure those who were there still fit for duty were 
practically assured of a safe return home with 
all our limbs and faculties unimpaired, and that 
was some satisfaction, besides, as I said before, 
"orders are orders", and the 21st Regiment 
N. Y. S. Vol. Inf. therefore began "guard duty" 
at Acquia Creek, Va. 

At this point, while turning my back, as it 
were, upon active duties at the front, I wish to 

[63 1 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

say that, during all my campaigning, marching, 
etc., in Virginia and Maryland under McDowell, 
Pope, Hooker, McClellan, Burnside, I was 
always at my post of duty, no march of the 
Regiment was ever so long in point of time, 
distance traveled, or hardships, and we made 
a number that tested the endurance most 
thoroughly, but that I was in my place, at the 
beginning and the end. No battle or skirmish, 
but that I was in it from first to last, but not 
once wounded. I was exposed to the dangers 
of shot, shell and bullets as often and as long 
as many others who were killed or wounded, 
in fact oftener, for while they, after being killed 
or wounded, were not called upon to face these 
dangers further, I, not having been wounded, 
faced them again and again at other times and 
places. This fact does not indicate that I was 
any more brave than they, or they more brave 
than I. I do not know as it indicates anything, 
and I only mention it as a fact. On the other 
hand there was quite a percentage of our boys 
who could be exposed to the fire of the enemy 
but a moment before they would be wounded, 
more or less seriously, and the same would 
happen the very next engagement in which they 
would take part. 

I remember one fine fellow, who died many 
years ago, Frank Valentine, who was wounded 
in both the first and second engagements he 

[64] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

was in; his third, Antietam, had hardly begun 
when a rebel minae ball shattered the barrel 
of his rifle. He obtained another one from one 
of the seriously wounded, and continued, but 
soon was most seriously wounded in the knee. 
This laid him up for the remainder of our enlist- 
ment. I do not recall that any of those who 
were so easily wounded (as it were) ever after- 
wards received a mortal wound. 

On the other hand I remember incidents 
that were quite different. At one time we were 
drawn in line preparatory to making a charge 
on Jackson's troops behind the railroad em- 
bankment and in the cut, we were the first line, 
the first to make the charge, and were ordered 
to "lie down" while four or five other lines (eight 
or ten ranks) were assembling and forming be- 
hind us. I was in the front rank of our front 
line, and while we were lying down the soldier 
in my rear hugged me so close that no bullet 
coming from the enemy line could have touched 
him until it had passed through me. Well, in 
due time the order came "Up and Charge!" 
We were then probably seven or eight hundred 
feet from the enemy embankment, it did not 
seem so far then, but I have been on the ground 
since the war, and while there I estimated it to 
be 800 feet. We had gone but a few rods when 
pandemonium began. Jackson's volleys of mus- 
ketry and batteries in our front and Longstreet's 

[65] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

Batteries on a hill to our left enfilading the field. 
In a few seconds the line was broken, the young 
fellow who had hugged me so closely but a few 
minutes before was among the killed; another 
young fellow, Al Schwartz, had come to my 
side in the tumult and confusion, saying, ''Those 
are rebels and lil have one shot at them, if I 
die the next minute/' He kneeled, aimed, fired, 
and the same instant a bullet struck him in the 
forehead and he toppled over dead. 

As I said before, our line was broken, our 
Captain, Jeremiah P. Washburn, and many 
others were killed, there was much smoke, noise 
and confusion, an order could not be heard had 
there been any given at this time, nor was 
there a rank to hear, so it was every man 
for himself. While I hadn't seen any bullets 
in the air, I thought there must be lots of them 
there, and that I had better seek protection. 
The first obstacle above the bare ground that 
offered after this impulse came to me, was a 
small wild rose bush, but I did not take advan- 
tage of it, it wasn't good enough. Going a 
bit further I came to a ditch about 18 or 20 
inches wide and about the same depth, across 
our front. Yes, that was good. I jumped 
in, some were there ahead of me, others kept 
coming, many of them wounded. There was no 
water in the ditch and if it had not been in that 
particular field at that particular time, I think 

[66] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

it would have been a pretty safe place, but 
many received wounds there. 

Now the next line emerged out of the woods 
and came forward, two or three others and my- 
self sprang out of the ditch and went forward, 
but that line also disappeared as a line. The 
next cover I found was a little ditch 6 or 8 
inches deep. Another line attempted to make 
the advance and a member of my company, 
Julius Weiss, he was a fine boy, and myself 
up again. Our next stopping place was about 
60 to 70 feet distant from and almost exactly 
in front of where the railroad embankment enters 
the cut through the hill; here Julius and I found 
a place that had been slightly excavated or 
washed out by the rain, 5 or 6 inches deep, but 
the grass was 10 or 12 inches high and had not 
been trampled down in front of us; here we lay 
for a long time firing and being fired upon. How 
close to us the bullets whizzed I cannot tell, but 
as I lay to the right of Julius, a shell from our 
left, from one of Longstreet's batteries passed 
over us and struck the ground not two feet from 
my shoulder. I could easily have put my hand 
where it struck. It did not explode then but 
spilled a lot of dirt over us and passed on, while 
Julius said in all earnestness, "By God, Nagle, 
that was meant for you." 

In the meantime more of our troops at- 
tempted to come forward but were promptly 

[67] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

disorganized by volleys of musketry and heavy 
shell fire. I do not believe that in the part of 
the field we were in any organized line came 
beyond the first ditch, about one-third the dis- 
tance from the shelter of the woods to the enemy 
line behind the embankment. 

A little to our right the woods extended to 
the embankment, what happened there I do 
not know. Finally it became evident that our 
side was no longer attempting to force the enemy 
fines at this point. The rebels were getting 
bold, numbers making their appearance on top 
of the embankment, but a short distance ahead 
of us. They were evidently preparing to advance. 
What were we, Julius and I to do in our ad- 
vanced position, and without "support.^'' We 
held a hurried consultation. It must have been 
a kind of a Council of War — you know they 
never fight, for we quickly and unanimously 
decided to ''retreat". The movement began at 
once led by Julius, without orders, he plunged 
horizontally like a fish into the shallow ditch in 
our rear. This was proper, not to expose himself 
more than was necessary. I followed promptly, 
but remained on my feet until I reached the 
ditch; this was evidently a "strategic retreat." 
After a short (very short) pause we scampered 
back to the larger ditch, this we found practi- 
cally filled with Union soldiers, mostly, if not 
all, wounded. There were several of our Com- 

[68] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

pany who begged to be taken back to our line, 
but the field was still being swept by enemy fire, 
and no conveyance for carrying them, we could 
only assure them that they were safest where 
they were, and I continued my **retreat." I 
think Julius and I had become separated by 
this time. None of those I recognized in the 
ditch were ever heard from by myself or their 
friends afterward. I was soon in the semi-shelter 
of the woods, the trees were mostly large solid 
trees, the bullets crashed into them or glanced 
from them with spiteful venom. I didn't like 
the idea of turning my back to the enemy bullets, 
but it is a part of the fortunes or misfortunes of 
war. 

A little further on I saw our Colors and our 
Colonel, Wm. F. Rogers, rallying what he could 
of our Regiment. That was what I was looking 
for. I joined them, my retreat was successfully 
ended. For a long time I had been ahead of 
the Colors and may command, if there was a 
command. I had now rejoined the Colors and 
we were fast forming a pretty respectable com- 
mand. This was not the end of the battle, plenty 
happened after that, but this is as far as I want 
to relate now. It was an incident in the second 
Battle of Bull Run. 

Massing a large force of troops opposite the 
enemy lines, and then doling them out in small 
units and in thin lines, pitting them against 

[69] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

veteran troops of the enemy, entrenched or 
protected by ideal embankments, may be a 
splendid idea, but it didn't work that time suc- 
cessfully. 

After doing duty for some weeks at Acquia 
Creek, I was ordered to take charge of a detail 
of twenty men, two from each company and a 
corporal from "D" Co., I was Sergeant of "C" 
Co., and proceed to Washington to guard the 
Sixth Street Wharf, which was the Washington 
Terminal of the steamboat line between Acquia 
Creek and Washington, the rear entrance to 
the Army of the Potomac, then quartered in 
the vicinity of Fredericksburg. 

Orders are orders, so in obedience to these 
orders I took my little command by steamboat 
to Washington — this was good-bye to the Army 
of the Potomac lines. Though still under orders 
of the Provost Marshal General of the Army, 
General M. R. Patrick, by whose orders I was 
sent there, I was within the lines of the **Defenses 
of Washington", which was another department. 
I reported to Q. M. Capt. Robinson, took quar- 
ters near the wharf in barracks vacated by a 
full large regiment, and entered upon our guard 
duty. Many little incidents are remembered 
that were different from our experiences at the 
front, I will, however, relate only one. 

The entrance to the Wharf on the line of the 
street near Sixth Street, was about a rod wide, 

[70] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

here was placed a sentinel whose orders in part 
were to prevent any one without a proper pass 
from going onto the Wharf. At this time, early 
in May 1863, there was a tall soldier, of German 
birth or descent, of "D" Co. on guard here. One 
day as I was on my way from our quarters to 
the Wharf and nearing the entrance, a closed, 
one-horse carriage, with glass only in the door, 
driven by a darkey driver — I believe it was a 
common public conveyance, a hack — came to 
a stop in front of the entrance, and about a rod 
distant. A tall man in black got out, another, 
with long dark, iron gray whiskers, bespectacled 
round eyes and derby hat, stuck his head out of 
the window. The tall man walked toward the 
entrance, the other anxiously looking after him 
and eyeing the surroundings. The sentinel 
barred the way. They — both tall, stood face to 
face, body to body, with the sentinel's gun 
between them. He said, "I am President 
Lincoln, my man." At the same instant I, 
being three or four paces distant, called out, 
"Guard, let the President pass!" With that the 
guard jumped aside, presented arms, and looking 
after the President said, *'By God, that does 
look like his picture." 

The President passed on, the man looking 
out of the window of the carriage seemed re- 
lieved, seeing the boys in blue on duty, withdrew 
his head and the carriage with him drove away. 

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Reminiscences of the Civil War 

They were President Abraham Lincoln and 
Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton — the high- 
est official of the Government, the best beloved 
man in the land, the Commander-in-Chief of the 
Army and Navy of the United States, and his 
Secretary of War. There was no escort of any 
sort, military or civil, not a policeman or even 
a detective. 

I think Lincoln must have been on the dock 
nearly three hours, most of the time sitting alone 
on a box or barrel, and much of the time with 
his hand to his forhead. Those were the anxious 
days between the first and fourth of May, 1863 
when the Army under General Hooker was fight- 
ing the battle of the Wilderness and was de- 
feated. I have no doubt Lincoln was there 
partly to get away from office cares, and largely 
in hopes that some favorable news would come 
from the Army lines. In this he must have been 
sadly disappointed, for no steamboat arrived 
while he was there. When he finally took his 
departure, he came to the entrance, or exit, alone, 
there was no carriage, but in a moment the same 
carriage that had brought him appeared from 
somewhere, and in another moment he was 
away. 

A few days after this event I joined my 
Company and Regiment as it passed through 
Washington on the way to Buffalo, there to be 
discharged or mustered out of service, May 18, 

[ 72 1 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

1863, on the expiration of our term of enlistment, 
viz. : Two years. 

I have a recollection of seeing Abraham 
Lincoln at another time previous to the above. 
He was then President-elect, and on his way 
from Springfield to Washington. The trip was 
shrouded more or less in secrecy, to guard 
against possible assassination. While passing 
through Buffalo he stopped at the old American 
Hotel on Main Street between Eagle Street and 
Court Street, the site now occupied by the 
Department Store of Adam, Meldrum and 
Anderson. The stairway leading from the lobby 
to the floor above was composed of wide steps 
to a landing halfway up to the floor; from this 
landing or platform two narrower steps or stair- 
ways, one on either side of the wide one, led 
backward to the floor above. 

Mr. Lincoln was standing on a chair in the 
left hand corner of this landing, the crowd was 
passing up the stairs past Mr. Lincoln, and on 
to the next floor. Mr. Lincoln was shaking 
hands with some of the men passing, I was one 
of the crowd, and just as I was within arms 
length of him, he held both of his large hands 
over the crowd in a benediction sort of a way 
and said: ''AH you young men pass right on, I 
am going to shake hands only with the gray 
haired men." My hair was not gray then — it 
is gray now all right enough — so I missed by a 

[73] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

narrow margin shaking hands with Abraham 
Lincoln. I always thought that was a mistake 
on his part. I had carried the torch in the Wide 
Awake ranks during the campaign, and soon 
after in answer to his call, carried the musket. 
But I never laid it up against him, and don't now, 
though I wish he had held out his hand. 

I remember another time when the lifeless 
body of our assassinated martyred President, 
Abraham Lincoln, passed through Buffalo on 
its last journey to rest at Springfield, 111. It 
laid in state in the old St. James Hall, which 
stood just about where the lobby of the Iroquois 
Hotel is now, facing Eagle Street. Entrance 
to this Hall for the occasion was by way of the 
second floor of some small store buildings then 
facing Main Street. There was no crowding 
here, the police saw to it that only a few were 
admitted at a time. As I entered the Hall, all 
was silence, solemn and in almost complete 
darkness, save for a couple of small lights at 
the bier, two guards standing near. 



[74 



VII. 
A Hearty Welcome 

THE FOREGOING Reminiscences relating 
almost wholly to my experience with the 21st 
Regiment N.Y.S. Vol. Inf., of which I was a part, 
from the day it organized until the day it was 
mustered out of the United States service and dis- 
charged, I think it appropriate that I should refer 
to our return to Buffalo, our Home City, at the 
Expiration of our Two-year Term of Service. 

I find it exceedingly difficult to select from 
the innumerable mass of thoughts that press 
upon me. Many pages might be written upon 
this event, and then not exhaust the subject or 
do justice to it. I will, however, be brief. 

The regiment was composed of young men 
from Buffalo and vicinity, and its career in the 
Army had been watched with interest by the 
prominent, near prominent and not prominent 
people of Buffalo, and as also our labors and 
losses had been severe, and we had made good, 
it was but natural that Buffalo should turn out 
en mass, as it did, to greet us on our return. 

I had been a resident of Buffalo less than 
four months when the War broke out, and was 
acquainted with only a very few; for me, there- 
fore, it was after all only one of the passing 
events. 

[75] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

We arrived by train at the Erie Railroad 
Depot on Exchange Street, about the middle 
of the afternoon, May 14, 1863. Exchange 
Street was lined from the Depot to Main Street 
with military and civil organizations — the Con- 
tinentals, with Ex-President Millard Fillmore 
in command, at the head — that were to escort 
us on our march to the old arsenal on Batavia 
Street — now Broadway — and was crowded to 
the limit with men, women and children. 

We soon formed in line, we were a complete 
Veteran Regiment of Infantry of the Union 
Army, with every officer and man, fit for duty 
in his place with our Colors, and with much 
experience, and still in service of the Govern- 
ment of the United States of America. Now, 
with our fine Regimental Band, Peter Kraemer 
leading at our head, we formed in column of 
fours and marched up Exchange, past the escort- 
ing organizations, which were at "Salute" to 
Maine, where we halted, came to a *Tront'' and 
"Saluted" the escorting organizations as they 
passed us to take the lead the rest of the way. 

We then swung into column by "Company 
front" on Main Street, and with our own Band 
at our head, at the order: "Column Forward 
March" we began our last march up Main Street, 
amid the booming of friendly cannons and the 
cheering of the multitude. The street was clear 
from curb to curb, but the sidewalks and all the 

[76] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

windows along the line of march were filled to 
capacity with joyful, cheering humanity; joy, 
pride and admiration filled every heart and 
shone in every eye. Amid all this acclaim, 
heartfelt joy and tumult, the Veteran Twenty- 
first marched steadily on, seemingly unmindful 
of all the shouts and cheers of welcome, approval 
and admiration, as was becoming in Veteran 
Soldiers on a Parade March. My own chief 
concern was to have our Company, our Regi- 
ment, make a creditable appearance, which I 
think they did. 

Arriving at the Arsenal, we listened to some 
patriotic addresses of Welcome. Then ''Atten- 
tion!" and we were told that after breaking 
ranks, we would find eatables in the Hall, where 
we later found the tables and stands loaded 
with more than enough for 10,000 men. 

And now the end was very near, for directly 
our Colonel dismissed us to go where we pleased 
without passes, then, "Breaking Ranks" and the 
labors of the Twenty-first were finished, our 
last march had ended, we had ''broken ranks" 
for the last time. 

A day or two later we received our discharges. 
We were again Civilian Citizens. 

THEODORE M. NAGLE, 
Formerly Sergt. Co. "C", 21st Regt. 
N. Y. S. Vol. Inf. 
Written Jan. 1923. 

[77] 



IN DECEMBER, 1862, Generals Burnside, 
Franklin, Hooker, Sumner, Smith, Reynolds, 
Doubleday, Gibbon, Stoneman, Birney, Sykes, 
Warren, Humphreys, Hancock, Meagher, How- 
ard, Pleasanton, and all the rest of us, were on 
the march bound for Richmond via Fredericks- 
burg, in fact we had orders to go to Richmond. 
Arriving at the Rappahannock, opposite Fred- 
ericksburg, we found that Generals Lee, Long- 
street, Jackson, Hill, Ewell, Stuart, and all their 
rebel crew, were bound that we should not go 
at that time, and accordingly had blocked the 
road we wanted to take, (the Orange C. H. 
Turnpike and Telegraph Roads), and fortified 
the hills on either side of the road for miles, 
planted batteries innumerable, and long lines of 
rifle pits in front of their batteries, all well 
manned by the veteran troops of the Army of 
Northern Virginia. I heard no talk of arbitra- 
tion, or gentle, peaceful means of settling our 
differences. I heard the words of command: 
^'Forward! Forward!" and that's what brought 
on the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, De- 
cember 13, 1862. The battle itself, with all its 

[79] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

carnage, bloodshed, and blunders, I will not now 
recall, but will content myself to relate several 
little incidents occurring before and after the 
battle, not at all noteworthy, except, perhaps, 
that they in a measure relate to that disastrous 
battle, formed, in part, the more peaceful, 
romantic fringe of the battle. 

On December 11, 1862, our brigade, Gen. 
Patrick's; our Regiment, the 21st N. Y. S. Vol. 
Inf., (all New York troops) a part of the left 
wing of the Union Army, under command of 
Major General Franklin, stacked arms about 
noon in an open field, parallel to and 600 or 
800 feet distant from a piece of woods, and about 
one mile from the Rappahannock, we all threw 
off our accoutrements; at about 4 o'clock I 
concluded that we would very likely remain 
there all night; in anticipation of this, I went 
to the woods, and with my hatchet, which I 
always carried, I cut a large armful of cedar 
boughs; as cedars were scarce there it took me 
a long time to make out my load, but finally 
carried them out of the woods, and when about 
half way to my place in the ranks the bugle 
called *Tall in!" Everybody was immediately 
astir putting on accoutrements, etc. Field 
oflScers, as I passed them, smiled to see me carry- 
ing my cedar boughs, and the boys laughed and 
had many remarks to make. I, however, had 
made up my mind to carry them to my place 

[80] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

in the ranks; but matters were being rushed 
at that time. All along the line the orders were 
repeated, "Fall in!" "Fall in!" "Count off!" 
"Count off!" "One!" "Two!" "One!" "Two!" 
It was now fast getting dark; four of our com- 
pany were missing, so Captain Remington says 
to me, "Sergeant N., you take charge of these 
muskets and accoutrements, and when the boys 
come, follow the line of march with them." As 
I said before, things were moving, and by this 
time the order came: "By the right flank, for- 
ward march!" and the line took up its tramp 
past me. Several regiments had passed (it was 
quite dark), the column came to a halt; in 
a few moments it faced about, and, with the 
left in front, marched till each command oc- 
cupied exactly the same ground it had before 
it had moved — and I slept on cedar boughs 
that night. Of course we had no tents with us; 
the ground was frozen hard; it is the only time 
in my experience that we started on a march 
and returned to exactly the same ground. 

The next day, the 12th of December, we 
crossed the river on pontoons. By nightfall I 
again set out to find something to put between 
myself and the ground. There was not much 
ground on that side of the river that we could 
calls ours. The rebel lines were not far removed 
from the river, say one to one and one-half miles 
at our part of the line, but we looked upon the 

[81] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

Old Richmond Stage Road (about half way 
between the hills and the river) as being the 
dividing line between the two armies. At dusk 
my comrade, Henry Oberist, and I crossed this 
roa"d into a cornfield where there were plenty of 
corn stalks stacked; for some reason or other we 
went from one stack to another, to pick out the 
softest stalks, I suppose; directly I noticed others 
passing from one stack to another, but more gen- 
erally away from our lines; so I says: *'Henry, 
those fellows are Johnnies," (Johnny Rebs). He 
looked sharp, and agreed: "Yes, that's so, by 
George." So we got our corn stalks and edged 
over to our side of the field (neither of us were 
armed at the time) and with but little difficulty 
passed our pickets, which had been placed while 
we were in the cornfield. Arriving at our regi- 
ment's place, the field officers wanted the corn 
stalks for their horses, as no wagons had yet 
crossed the river. But they did not get the corn 
that night; we slept on the corn stalks, and in the 
morning the horses were welcome to them — 
that was the morning of the day of the battle, on 
the field of battle, December 13, 1862. 

At nightfall, just before dusk, our lines were 
withdrawn a little from our most advanced posi- 
tion; as darkness came on we lay down on the 
ground, bare ground this time, each one curled 
up by himself, his trusted rifle within his em- 
brace. The Johnny Rebs, from their elevated 

[82 1 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

positions on the hills threw grape and cannister 
among us till late in the night; the poor wounded 
horses moving about among us. It was a cold, 
clear, starlit night, and while we did some think- 
ing, we also went to sleep, to be better prepared 
for the morrow. After I had slept some time our 
Captain Remington aroused me and ordered me 
to go to the pontoon bridge landing to bring up 
our quartermaster's wagons; the bridge was 
between one and two miles away up the river, 
no roads leading there. I tramped the fields and 
through the ravines till I arrived at the bridge. 
You will remember we were the extreme advance 
line, next to the enemy, nearly every man 
asleep on the ground, with his rifle in hand, but 
every man in the ranks a veteran of many battles 
and there is no doubt in my mind but that if the 
occasion had arisen each one would have been 
in his place in a moment, ready for the enemy 
(we had out a few scouts or pickets who would 
have given the alarm.) As I passed toward the 
rear, coming to the next line behind us, I found 
the troops in good alignment with their muskets 
stacked and the men lying in regular order 
behind their guns; going still further back, I 
found the third line actually in line of battle, 
standing at **parade rest.'' How long they re- 
tained these positions I do not know, as I re- 
turned a little nearer the river, and I do not 
think I saw them. This may not speak well for 

[83] 



Reminiscences of the Civil War 

the first line of veteran troops, but from what I 
had seen of our men in similar circumstances, I 
am sure every one would have been in place the 
moment the necessity arose, and done his full 
duty. This is not saying, however, that the 
second and third lines would not have performed 
their duties in any emergency. I have been told 
by former Confederate officers that on this night 
Stonewall Jackson pleaded with General Lee to 
allow him to come down off the hills and make 
a night attack on us, but that General Lee would 
not permit it. 

The next morning we resumed our advanced 
position, but only a little picket firing, though 
forbidden, was indulged in during the day, and 
at night, December 14-15, we slept on the ground 
in this position. The following night the entire 
army retreated across the river in a rain that 
was at first drizzling, but soon turned into a 
heavy, steady downpour, in which we marched 
all night long; a fairly high wind blew from the 
Rebel fines, and as the ground was soft, the 
enemy probably did not know of our retreat 
until morning. 

THEODORE M. NAGLE, 
Formerly Sergt. Co. "C/' 21st Regt. 
N. Y. S. Vol. Inf. 
Erie, Pa., July 7, 1914. 



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